Welcome
Mission
Wheaton Profile
Community Covenant
History
Accreditations
Financial Audit Info
Wheaton A to Z
 


Established in 1860 as a co-ed institution, Wheaton College is a private, residential and interdenominational Christian liberal arts college, where the pursuit of faith and learning is taken seriously. Wheaton is committed to being a community that fearlessly pursues God's Truth, invests in developing well-rounded students, and prepares graduates to make a difference in the world. These principles have made learning and living at Wheaton extraordinary for 150 years.

Distinctives

  • The 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges includes Wheaton College in its list of 45 Best Buy colleges and universities, based on academic quality in relation to the cost of attendance.
  • Kiplinger's ranks Wheaton 22nd for 100 Best Values in Private Colleges. Kiplinger's rankings measure academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total.
  • The Princeton Review names Wheaton in the 2011 edition of The Best 373 Colleges.
  • The 2010 U.S. News & World Report ranks Wheaton 56 out of more than 260 National Liberal Arts Colleges.
  • The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2011 observes, “Wheaton College changes lives for those who seek its top-notch academics and community committed to the Christian faith.”
  • Colleges that Change Lives includes Wheaton in its select list of 40 schools.
  • The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges included Wheaton as a school that has “demonstrated an exemplary commitment to sustainability.”

Enrollment

  • Approximately 2,400 undergraduates, 500 graduate students
  • 50% female, 50% male
  • 20% multicultural students
  • From 50 states, 50 countries and 55+ church denominations

Faculty

  • Full time: 198; Part time: 104
  • 95% of full-time faculty hold earned doctorates or other terminal degree
  • 19 endowed faculty chairs, allowing +9% of permanent faculty to hold endowed professorships
  • 11:1 Student to Faculty Ratio

Finances (2010-2011)

  • Undergraduate: $27,850; room and board: $8,050
  • Graduate: $650 per credit hour; $830 for Psy.D. students; $800 for Ph.D. students
  • More than $20 million in scholarships and grants is awarded annually to students
  • Federal Pell grants, FSEOG, state, and institutional grants and scholarships are available
  • 65% of undergraduate students received scholarships and grants
  • 63% of undergraduates were offered loans; about 49% accepted
  • Music, ROTC, and multicultural student scholarships are available
  • The 2011 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges names Wheaton College as a Best Buy school
  • See http://www.wheaton.edu/finaid for more information

Important Dates

  • Early action deadline: November 1, with notification by December 31
  • Regular Action deadline: January 10, with notification by April 1
  • Conservatory deadline: January 10, with notification by April 1
  • Fall Transfer deadline: March 1
  • Spring Transfer deadline: October 1

Class of 2013 Profile

  • 620 enrolled, including 27 National Merit Finalists
  • Average high school GPA 3.7 (unweighted scale)
  • 59% graduated in top 10% of their high school class
  • 83% graduated in the top 25% in high school
  • 78% are expected to graduate in four years; 85% will graduate in five
  • 116 are children of alumni
  • 96% will return their sophomore year
  • Will maintain a 3.4 GPA over the next four years
  • Middle 50% scored between 1220 and 1390 on the Critical Reasoning and Math portions of the SAT, and between 26 and 31 on the ACT

Residence Life

Wheaton College is intentionally residential for undergraduates. Approximately 88% of students live on campus. Two underclass residence halls house first and second year students. Williston Hall houses only second year students. McManis-Evans houses second, third, and fourth year students. Third and fourth year students may apply to live in one of 15 college owned apartment buildings or in one of the 13 college owned houses. Undergraduates may live off campus if living with parents or spouse, or if permission is granted through an off-campus selection process in the spring. Limited graduate housing is available to single students and international married students.

Academics

Arts & Sciences | B.A., B.S.

*signifies most enrolled majors

Ancient Languages
Anthropology
Applied Health Science *
Art
Biblical Archaeology
Biblical & Theological Studies
Biology
Business/Economics *
Chemistry
Christian Education & Ministry
Communication *
Computer Science
Economics
Elementary Education
Engineering (Dual Degree)
English *
Environmental Studies
French
Geology
German
History
History/Social Science
Interdisciplinary Studies
International Relations
Mathematics
Music (6 majors, see Conservatory information)

Nursing (Liberal Arts)
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology *
Secondary Education (2nd major only)
Sociology
Spanish

Conservatory of Music | B.Mus., B.Mus.Ed.

  • Composition
  • Education
  • History/Literature
  • Music with Elective Studies in an Outside Field
  • Music with Emphasis in a Music-Related Field
  • Performance

Undergraduate Certificates

  • Adventure Leadership Ministry
  • Christian Spirituality
  • Early Christian Studies
  • Gender Studies
  • HNGR - Human Needs and Global Resources (Development Studies)
  • Military Science
  • Pre-Law
  • Urban Studies
  • Youth Ministry

Master of Arts Degrees | M.A., M.A.T.

  • Biblical Archaeology
  • Biblical Exegesis
  • Christian Formation & Ministry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Counseling Ministries
  • Evangelism and Leadership
  • Theology
  • History of Christianity
  • Intercultural Studies
  • Intercultural Studies-Gradlink
  • Intercultural Studies & TESOL
  • Teaching, Elementary or Secondary

Graduate Certificates

  • TESOL
  • Urban Evangelism
  • Urban Mission

Doctoral Degrees | Ph.D., Psy. D.

  • Philosophy in Biblical & Theological Studies
  • Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)

Special Programs

  • Archaeological Excavation in Israel
  • Arts in London
  • HoneyRock
  • HNGR - Human Needs and Global Resources
  • International internship opportunities
  • Iron Sharpens Iron
  • Marine Biology in Belize
  • Media and Modernity in Europe
  • Music and Ministry in the Great Cities of Europe
  • Pre-Health Professions
  • Pre-Law Program
  • ROTC
  • Science Station
  • Wheaton in Argentina
  • Wheaton in Chicago
  • Wheaton in East Africa
  • Wheaton in England
  • Wheaton in France
  • Wheaton in Germany
  • Wheaton in the Holy Lands
  • Wheaton in Washington, D.C.

Accreditation and Certifications

  • Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
  • American Psychological Association
  • American Chemical Society Certified

Calendar System

  • Two 16-week semesters
  • Two 4-week summer sessions

More Than A Classroom - Student Activities

  • Student Government
  • Leadership development opportunities
  • College Union
  • The Record student newspaper
  • Kodon literary magazine
  • Tower yearbook
  • Gospel Choir
  • Intercollegiate speech and debate competition
  • Theater productions
  • Multicultural and international groups
  • Departmental and pre-professional study groups
  • Orientation, Homecoming and Family Weekend planning committees
  • Intramural sports

Conservatory Music Organizations

  • Concert Choir
  • Jazz Ensemble
  • Men’s Glee Club
  • Opera Music Theater
  • Percussion Ensemble
  • Symphonic Band
  • Symphony Orchestra
  • Women’s Chorale

Ministry/Service Opportunities

  • Breakaway Ministries
  • Christian Service Council (22 local ministries)
  • Global Urban Perspectives
  • Missions in Focus
  • Student Ministry Partners
  • World Christian Fellowship
  • Youth Hostel Ministry

Becoming Champions

  • Wheaton offers men and women intercollegiate participation in 21 different sports as a member of the non-scholarship NCAA Division III.
  • Wheaton teams have won more than 45 titles over the past seven years in 11 different sports. 150+ students have earned All-American recognition and 45+ have been recognized as Academic All-Americans.
  • Wheaton is a charter member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). CCIW schools have accounted for 37 NCAA national championships, including for Wheaton College a basketball title, three women's soccer championships, and two men's soccer titles.
  • Over the past five seasons, Wheaton has been nationally ranked in: football; men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, and men's and women's cross country; women's track and field, women's golf, and women's tennis.
  • The women's soccer team won the 2004, 2006, and 2007 NCAA Division III Championships. Women's soccer has made five NCAA Final Four appearances (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008). Head coach Pete Felske was named national "Coach of the Year" in 2004, 2006, and 2007.
  • The Wheaton football team has been ranked in Division III's Top 25 for the past 10 years. Wheaton won CCIW championships in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006, with a league-best five NCAA-III Playoff appearances since 2000 including National Semifinalist recognition in 2008.

Division III Competition

Men

Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Outdoor Track
Soccer
Swimming
Tennis
Wrestling

Women

Basketball
Cross Country
Golf
Indoor & Outdoor Track
Soccer
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Volleyball
Water Polo

Club Sports

Men

Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Volleyball
Soccer

Women

Lacrosse
Cheerleading

Co-ed

Crew
Tae Kwon Do

40% of students participate in intramural sports.

Admissions

Known for the quality of its academic offerings, Wheaton College continues to enroll strong, distinctively Christian students. We look at the whole student to assess the quality of the application. This includes evaluating the following:
  • Quality of course selection
  • Performance in high school/college
  • Rank in class
  • ACT and/or SAT
  • Essays
  • Recommendations
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Christian commitment (necessary for admission)

Wheaton Alumni

Placement six months after graduation

  • 60% employed
  • 27% graduate school
  • 2% military
  • 11% other

Wheaton Graduates

1,500 business leaders

  • Donald Soderquist ’55, former COO and vice chairman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  • William Pollard ’60, former chairman and CEO, The ServiceMaster Company
  • Robert Lane ’72, former chairman and CEO, John Deere & Co.
  • Bonnie Pruett Wurzbacher ’77, senior vice-president, Coca-Cola
  • James Bowen, ’77, president, First Trust Portfolios, L.P.
  • Michael Bontrager ’82, founder, Chatham Financial Corporation
  • Mark Snyder ’82, executive vice president and global head of foreign exchange division, State Street
  • Timothy Seneff, ’96, president, CNL Financial Group, Inc.

250 government & foreign service professionals

  • J. Dennis Hastert ’64, former Illinois Congressman and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Dan Coats ’65, former Senator and U.S. Ambassador, Germany
  • Joan Humphrey Lefkow ’65, federal judge, U.S. District Court (Ill.)
  • Tim Walberg, MA ’78, former Michigan Congressman
  • Michael Gerson ’86, former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

1,000 in medicine

  • Dr. Arthur Ammann ’58, president of Global Strategies for HIV Prevention
  • William Wood ’62, professor and chairman of surgery, Emory University School of Medicine
  • Kathy Albain ’74, professor of medicine, Loyola University, Chicago
  • David Sugarbaker ’75, former thoracic division chief, Harvard Medical School

375 in science and research

  • Richard Holt ’56, former senior program manager, TRW Defense Systems
  • Thomas Wittick ’68, president and geophysicist, Lindon Exploration Company, Inc.

30 college presidents or provosts

  • R. Judson Carlberg ’62, president, Gordon College
  • Nathan O. Hatch ’68, president, Wake Forest University
  • Jay Barnes, ’69, president, Bethel University
  • John Martin ’71, president, Roberts Wesleyan College
  • Niel Nielson ’76, president, Covenant College
  • Charles W. Pollard ’85, president, John Brown University

3,000+ in ministry and evangelism worldwide

  • Billy Graham ’43, evangelist
  • Elizabeth Fletcher Isais ’46, missionary and journalist
  • Elisabeth Elliot ’48, missionary and writer
  • Gary Chapman ’60, author and pastor, Calvary Baptist Church
  • Louis L. Carter Jr. ’61, surgeon, missionary and medical teacher
  • John Piper ’68, author and pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church
  • John Ortberg ’79 author and pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
  • Larry Reed ’80, former chief executive officer, Opportunity International Network
  • Seth Barnes ’80, executive director, Adventures in Missions
  • Ruth Haley Barton ’81, author and co-founder, The Transforming Center
  • Jasper Bacon ’82, founder and executive director, In His Steps Ministries
  • Kevin Palau ’85, President, Luis Palau Association

550 in the arts

  • Luci Shaw ’53, poet and author
  • John Nelson ’63, music director, L’Ensemble Orchestra de Paris
  • Wendy White Aftab ’75, principal artist, Metropolitan Opera
  • David Clydesdale ’75, freelance composer
  • Marty O’Donnell ’77, audio director, Bungie Software
  • Sylvia McNair ’78, Grammy award-winning soprano

Plus, more than 4,800 teachers, 560 attorneys and 2,300 in business and commerce.

More Information

By Telephone

General number 630.752.5000
Financial Aid 800.362.2674
Media Relations 630.752.5015
Ticket and Information Office 630.752.5010
Undergraduate Admissions 630.752.5005
(Out of state) 800.222.2419
Graduate Admissions 630.752.5195
(Out of state) 800.888.0141

In Person

501 College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187-5593

Wheaton College is located in suburban Wheaton, a residential community 25 miles west of downtown Chicago, with easy access to the city, and O'Hare and Midway International Airports.